A trio of self-propelled heavy-duty transport systems made by specialist heavy haulage trailer manufacturer Goldhofer has been used by the Central Nippon Expressway company to move a 545 tonne bridge section forming part of the new Higashi-Meihan-Highway between Nagoya City and Osaka in Japan.

Construction teams faced the challenge of the extreme weight of the bridge section and the tight available space, making it impossible to use cranes to position the 95m long steel roadway, so looked to Goldhofer for the solution.

The Goldhofer PST-ES/E Series modules with a total of 19 axle lines were used to transport the Tenpaku motorway junction at a height of 30 metres via existing feeder roads, so that it could be installed on-site – forming a vital element in the completion of the motorway connection.

A Central Nippon Expressway Company spokesman, commented: "We would not have been able to realise this project without the Goldhofer vehicles – our new self-driven modules genuinely stole the show."

Each Goldhofer module was equipped with a 60 tonne lift table, which supported the bridge at a height of 30 metres while the bridge section was then moved by two manoeuvrable lift table combinations, with the bridge protruding over the road sections positioned underneath it. The third unit then picked up the bridge on the other side of the street.


With only a few metres for vehicles to manoeuvre, the Central Nippon Expressway Company were able to make full use of the auxiliary steering featuring Goldhofer’s easyCONTROL remote control system, for use when the vehicle was negotiating urban areas or locations with restricted access.

Ivan Collins, Sales Director of Andover Trailers, Goldhofer's sole distributor in the UK and Ireland, explained: "The Higashi-Meihan-Highway is one of the most prestigious projects for Goldhofer in Japan, requiring a balance of precision and power to handle the weight of the gigantic steel section. The PST-ES/E self-driven modules have the highest axle load of any Goldhofer module and were perfect for this application."

With a combined weight of 655 tonnes, including the bridge section, 60 tonne lift tables and 50 tonne weight of the mounting platforms, the Goldhofer modules made light work of the project – requiring only an hour to position the final bridge section.

"The biggest problem was the limited space in which equipment could be positioned, but thanks to the hydraulic rotary drive and numerous steering modes operated by remote control, each axle could be individually positioned millimetres at a time, giving the team an extremely flexible and precise steering system," added Mr Collins.

The project forms part of the Higashi-Meihan-Highway, connecting Nagoya and Osaka, South West of Tokyo, and is one of the most important road links in Japan. Construction of the elevated express toll road, part of National Route 302, is due for completion in 2010 and will provide a six-lane transport system for 2.5 million people.

For information on the heavy haulage and specialist transport solutions provided by Andover Trailers, contact Ivan Collins at Andover Trailers Ltd, Unit 75, Columbus Way, Walworth Industrial Estate, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5NP. Tel: 01264 358 944 or e-mail: sales@andovertrailers.co.uk Website: www.andovertrailers.co.uk

(CD/KMcA)